Meniscus mirrors typically employ an optical substrate containing the mirror surface, a reaction mass, and a number of actuators for altering the shape of the mirror to a desired excursion (global or radius of curvature shaping of the entire mirror) or to effect correctability (local altering of the shape to overcome distortion) from e.g., heat, vibration, gravity. The mirrors may be operated zonally; each zone of the mirror has a local sensor which controls a local actuator to shape that area of the mirror or modally: the entire mirror surface is sensed globally (e.g. using an interference pattern) and then the local actuators are operated to effect the sloping. The actuators are generally oriented normal to the mirror surface and require the reaction mass to exert the proper deformation to the mirror to overcome the distortion. One problem has been that the need to lighten the weight of the mirror, exacerbated by the presence of the reaction mass, has resulted in lighter and thinner mirrors to the point where they are extremely fragile and difficult to fabricate and process. Another problem is the varying performance of the different types of actuators. Surface normal actuators (SNA) of the displacement type afford good correctability but poorer excursion with high natural frequency and high areal density. SNA's of the force type are moderately good at correctability and high excursion, have lower level natural frequency and a moderate areal density. So called edge or radius of curvature actuators which generally just bend the mirror globally have high excursion but low correctability, a moderate natural frequency and low areal density. SNA's of the displacement type can be smaller and so can be packed more densely but they have limited capability displacement which places them at a disadvantage for effecting excursion or radius of curvature adjustments. SNA's of the force type have a better displacement range but cannot be packed too densely and so they cannot effect the best correctability. The edge or radius of curvature actuators simply bend the mirror about its center using a limited number of edge actuators and so are limited in their application for correctability. One shortcoming of all of these approaches is that they require a reaction mass which increases the size and weight of the mirror. Another is that the actuators are not easily installed or replaced. Further, since the optical substrate is typically glass or beryllium and the reaction mass is graphite composite there is a thermal mismatch which introduces its own distortion.